Excluding nature from justice reflects one cultural cosmology over others

Evidence

But it is not just states that violate impartiality; partiality is evident even in supposedly impartial liberal theories of justice. As noted above, classic liberal justice theorists such as Rawls or Barry would not include nature as a subject of, or partner in, justice. But note the lack of impartiality here: some cultures and cosmologies assume sentience, a soul, and consciousness to nature—both individual critters and the larger landscapes. Any theory of justice that excludes parts of the world from consideration that some cultures would include begins under a very partial cultural bias; and assuming one cultural bias over the other is not how one should ground an impartial theory of justice. — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice, 359

Categorization

• XREF: Connects directly to settler-colonial and indigenous cosmology threads in the Eco-Justice course — recognition of nature’s agency as cultural pluralism, not special pleading. — connects to: Liberalism is not actually impartial in theory or practice — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice:…, 357; Justice to nature can rest on shared qualities without erasing difference — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice:…, 449; Modernity’s exclusion of nature from justice created its sustainability crisis — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice:…, 473 (+7 more)
• ADDENDUM: Parallel to the recognition claims in earlier chapters (ch58, ch83 on indigenous frames of environmental harm as cultural survival) — extends the cultural-recognition logic to nature itself.

Broader Connections

• Co-opting indigenous cosmology makes colonial rule sacred and rebellion sacrilegious #exemplifies (0.85) — Aimé Césaire, Discourse on Colonialism, 147
• The ethics boundary contains nihilism within nature to protect the human sphere #exemplifies (0.82) — Val Plumwood, Feminism and the Mastery of Nature, 538
• Dualism renders the lower order a mere resource excluded from the moral sphere #exemplifies (0.82) — Val Plumwood, Feminism and the Mastery of Nature, 218
• Modernity’s exclusion of nature from justice created its sustainability crisis #exemplifies (0.80) — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice, 473
• Future-generation justice extends scope to humans but not to nature as a subject. #corroborates (0.80) — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice, 381
• Belief in Western cultural universality is false, immoral, and dangerous #expands (0.80)
• Some cultures may lack a distinct moral domain #corroborates (0.80) — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 489
• Justice to nature can rest on shared qualities without erasing difference #qualifies (0.78) — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice, 449
• Justice can attach to viable populations of species rather than to individuals #qualifies (0.75) — David Schlosberg, Defining Environmental Justice, 395